SEC games round out 2007-08 Lady’Back basketball

BY ANDRES FOCIL

FAYETTEVILLE – Fans get more afternoons with the Lady Razorbacks as the University of Arkansas releases the full 2007-08 schedule for the women’s basketball team.

The Lady’Backs’ non-conference and foreign trip schedules were released earlier this summer, but with the finalization of the new Southeastern Conference 14-game rotation the entire 2007-08 slate is complete.

“I think there is a little bit of everything we need in this schedule,” UA head coach Tom Collen said.“The non-conference schedule is fan-friendly with lots of home games, we get the foreign tour that allows us the opportunity to evaluate our team with 10 extra practices and we get four Sunday afternoon games in conference play.”

Arkansas opens the SEC portion of the schedule at home with permanent partner LSU on Thursday, Jan. 10.This year, Arkansas changes its rotating Western and Eastern Division teams, picking up home-and-home with Auburn and Florida, replacing Vanderbilt and Miss State.

After road games at Ole Miss and Alabama, Arkansas hosts the first of its four Sunday SEC games with Florida at 2 p.m..The Lady’Backs travel to Tennessee before another home Sunday game, this time against Miss State.

“Although the conference schedule is never perfect, we do like the fact we have four home Sundays,” Collen said.“It gives our fans a chance to see the best basketball in the nation on a day that’s very easy for the family to come out to the arena.”

Arkansas’ other home Sunday games are on Feb. 10 against Auburn and Senior Day on Feb. 24 with Kentucky.The Lady’Backs also host Georgia (Feb. 7) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 21), both on Thursdays.

The Lady’Backs close the season on the road for the second straight season, playing at LSU on Feb. 28 then at Auburn on March 2.

“It’s never fun to end conference with back-to-back road games, but that may prepare us for playing on the road at the conference tournament,” Collen said.

The SEC women’s basketball tournament returns to Nashville, Tenn., at the Gaylord Entertainment Center on March 6-9.

Arkansas, 18-13 last season, begins preseason workouts in just over two weeks to prepare for a foreign tour to Canada over Labor Day weekend.

Tickets for the 2007-08 season are on sale.For more information on tickets, call 877-LADYBACK or 57-LBACK, or go on-line at LADYBACKS.COM.